Previous studies have demonstrated that light quality critically affects plant development and growth; however, the response depends upon the plant species. This research aims to examine the effects of different light wavelengths on sunflower (Helianthus annuus) sprouts that were stimulated during the night. Natural light and narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were used for an analysis of sunflower sprouts grown under full light and specific light wavelengths. Sunflower seeds were germinated under different light spectra including red, blue, white, and natural light. Luminosity, temperature, and humidity sensors were installed in the plant nursery and remotely monitored and recorded by an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The experiment examined seed germination for seven days. The results showed that the red light had the most influence on sunflower seed germination, while the natural light had the most influence on the increase in the root and hypocotyl lengths.

In this paper, we provide a straightforward approach to defining and deriving the key epidemiological quantity, the basic reproduction number, R0, for Markovian epidemics in structured populations. The methodology derived is applicable to, and demonstrated on, both SIR and SIS epidemics and allows for population as well as epidemic dynamics. The approach taken is to consider the epidemic process as a multitype process by identifying and classifying the different types of infectious units along with the infections from, and the transitions between, infectious units. For the household model, we show that our expression for R0 agrees with earlier work despite the alternative nature of the construction of the mean reproductive matrix, and hence, the basic reproduction number.

Background: Mathematical studies exploring the impact of booster vaccine doses on the recent COVID-19 waves are scarce, leading to ambiguity regarding the significance of booster doses. Methods: A mathematical model with seven compartments was used to determine the basic and effective reproduction numbers and the proportion of infected people during the fifth wave of COVID-19. Using the next-generation matrix, we computed the effective reproduction parameter, Rt. Results: During the fifth COVID-19 wave, the basic reproductive number in Thailand was calculated to be R0= 1.018691. Analytical analysis of the model revealed both local and global stability of the disease-free equilibrium and the presence of an endemic equilibrium. A dose-dependent decrease in the percentage of infected individuals was observed in the vaccinated population. The simulation results matched the real-world data of the infected patients, establishing the suitability of the model. Furthermore, our analysis suggested that people who had received vaccinations had a better recovery rate and that the death rate was the lowest among those who received the booster dose. The booster dose reduced the effective reproduction number over time, suggesting a vaccine efficacy rate of 0.92. Conclusion: Our study employed a rigorous analytical approach to accurately describe the dynamics of the COVID-19 fifth wave in Thailand. Our findings demonstrated that administering a booster dose can significantly increase the vaccine efficacy rate, resulting in a lower effective reproduction number and a reduction in the number of infected individuals. These results have important implications for public health policymaking, as they provide useful information for the more effective forecasting of the pandemic and improving the efficiency of public health interventions. Moreover, our study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the effectiveness of booster doses in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Essentially, our study suggests that administering a booster dose can substantially reduce the spread of the virus, supporting the case for widespread booster dose campaigns.

No abstract

An element a of a semigroup S is called left [right] magnifying if there exists a proper subset M of S such that S = aM [S = M a]. Let X be a nonempty set and BX the semigroup of binary relations on X. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for elements in BX to be left or right magnifying.